When you or a loved one is admitted to the hospital, receiving medical care can be scary, not only because you might know nothing about the diagnosis and procedures to follow but also because of language barriers. Not everyone speaks English fluently, and when someone does not communicate properly with their doctor, it could create confusion and dangerous situations.
This problem has been brought to attention by many organizations, most notably the National Association for the Deaf (NAD). The NAD was founded in 1880, and since then, they have fought for equal access and opportunities for deaf people in society. Much like other civil rights movements such as women’s rights or African American Civil Rights movement, Sign Language Interpreter for Hospitals is vital so that deaf people can get the same quality of medical care as hearing people do.
Hospitals and other medical facilities have a legal obligation to provide effective communication to all patients, including those who are deaf or hard of hearing. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires hospitals to make sure that all deaf patients can understand their doctors and nurses. The ADA states that “public accommodations” such as hospitals must take appropriate auxiliary aids and services to ensure effective communication with people who are deaf or hard of hearing. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has determined that qualified interpreters for individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing meet this requirement.
The need for a sign language interpreter becomes even more important when a patient cannot speak or write English, as they must communicate with medical staff at all times. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that one in twenty-five Americans is born deaf or loses hearing before the age of 18. That means that there are millions of people who need an interpreter to be able to understand their doctor and vice versa.
There have been horror stories about hospitals and doctors missing important information because of language barriers. Therefore, hospitals have a legal obligation to provide effective communication. It is also an ethical thing to do since it creates better medical care.
There are many benefits for everyone when hospitals have sign language interpreters during patient appointments. With Sign Language Interpreter for Hospitals, doctors can make better diagnoses by having more information about their patients. This will help them prescribe the best possible treatments and save lives. There are also financial benefits of hiring qualified medical interpreters; according to NAD research on this topic, “estimates suggest that medical interpretation services may cost one-third less than other common professional translation services.” That means that providing qualified sign language interpreters for all deaf patients in hospitals would be both beneficial for health care professionals and for people who need these services.
